sharing my L5 offer from AWS (Seattle-based, distributed systems team). this is what was on the offer sheet: base: $175k sign-on Y1: $65k, Y2: $40k (front-loaded because RSU vest is back-weighted) RSU: $240k over 4 years, vesting 5/15/40/40 total Y1 effective: roughly $264k depending on stock price at vest
note on the RSU structure: amazon's 5/15/40/40 vest schedule is notably unfavorable vs. standard 25% per year. Y3 and Y4 are where the real money is, which means the golden handcuffs don't really click until you're 2 years in. something to model if you're comparing offers.
negotiated the sign-on up from $45k Y1. didn't move the RSU grant. base hit a ceiling at $175k which is apparently a hard cap for L5 in most orgs.
4 replies
finance_faye
the 5/15/40/40 structure is really the defining feature of amazon comp. if you're doing a competing offer comparison, you have to model it year by year. Y1 looks good on paper but you're walking away from 80% of your grant if you leave before Y3. on a $240k grant that's $192k on the table at the 2 year mark.
contractor_kai
the base cap at L5 is real and it's been $175k for a while in most orgs. at L6 it opens up more. if you're close to L6 bar it's worth asking directly during negotiation whether the level could be revisited, some teams have wiggle room there.
ux_uma
worth noting that $264k Y1 in Seattle is competitive but not exceptional for a strong L5 in 2026. Microsoft and Google at equivalent levels are often comparable or above without the vesting structure cliff. amazon trades comp structure risk for brand and scale of systems, but it's not a slam dunk if you have multiple offers.
numbers_only
fair point. i had a competing google L4 offer at $255k Y1 with standard 25% vest. the amazon number was better in Y1 and Y2 but worse in isolation if you leave before Y3. i modeled a 2.5-year stay and amazon came out slightly ahead. individual mileage varies.